Oh I just realized it’s not just the color that is off; my knight has a thinner neck, and the angles of his face are off. The diagonal line in front of the eye should go backwards instead of forward (which would reduce the length of the line from the jaw to the neck), and the line above the eye should be more horizontal (which would shorten the line from the temple towards the ear, thus making the ear appear shorter than in my version).
Are such strong deviations in the angles to be expected, or is this knight simple not up to standards? Either way, I like the angles in the product photo much better. My knight has a more pronounced cheek, longer ears, and a thinner neck.
I didn’t specifically notice anything off when I inspected my knight before I compared it with the product photo, but I did have a sense of it looking less elegant. Turns out my intuition was correct. I think my knight does look less gracious. What do you think?
I’m getting pretty fed up with chess companies, and realizing it’s too much of a risk to order from most of them.
I ordered a Česká Klubovka set from Staunton Castle which arrived in a different color than what I expected based on their product photos. See this comment where I analyze the colors of the images online vs. the chess set I received.
And now I have the same problem with a Chavet chess set I ordered from Royal Chess Mall. It’s a beautiful set for a nice price, but it’s hard to appreciate that when another significant aspect deviates from your expectations. This is how the set was presented, with this stunning red Mahogany stain:
And this is what I received; dark brown:
I feel so pedantic and embarrassed to complain, but I ordered the set specifically for its dark red color. I put in a claim at Ebay for a replacement or a possible return. I’m guessing I won’t get a replacement, but the option to return seems likely; but either way, I would have to pay the cost of shipping. I’m really bothered by that.
Why does there seem to be a trend of chess companies misrepresenting what their chess sets look like? I don’t understand the practice, because I’m likely not the only person who complains based on the product not looking what one expected to get. Or maybe I am; maybe I’m the only one pedantic enough to be bothered by this? I don’t know.
Is there anything I can do to avoid this from happening again? I’m starting to feel that ebony and boxwood are the only safe purchase because you know exactly what to expect; when it comes to stains or wood types you’re not familiar with, there is going to be a level of uncertainty. Maybe I should request photos taken with a phone camera before I purchase a set that gives me reason to expect color variance/deviations? I’m not sure how feasible that is given that most chess sets may not be in stock, so there won’t be an opportunity for photos until the set is finished some weeks after payment.
Should I contact companies and ask for clarification on the exact colors and how representative the product photos are? Should I assume online photos are not representative and put in a special request to get the exact color stain I want? Are there chess companies I should avoid because their product photos are often not representative?
I’m starting to feel I can only trust the product photos of House of Staunton, Regency Chess, and Noj…